Uncovered Secrets
A Riverton Crossing Novel - Book 7
Savannah Maris
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this book are the product of the author’s imagination and are either fictitious or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.
ISBN-13:9781072298632
Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Savannah Maris
All Rights Reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in whole or in part by any means.
Author: Savannah Maris
Editor: Jennifer Roberts-Hall
Cover Photo(s): FuriousFotog
Cover Design: FuriousFotog/Golden Czermak
Dear Friends,
Uncovered Secrets marks the end of the Riverton Crossing Series. While I may revisit the group from Riverton Crossing at some point in the future, this is the last conceived book. Writing this book has been bittersweet to me. I love Ben and Rachel as much as any of the previous characters, but at the same time, I know they mark a goodbye—one word that I’m not a fan of. Watching this story unfold was very much like Unwelcomed Greeting. The plot is intricately woven, and you better not blink or you may miss a detail you’ll need later.
With a tear in my eye, I want to thank all of those in bringing not just Uncovered Secrets to life, but also the Riverton Crossing series.
My family is at the center of everything I do, and without them, I couldn’t do something I enjoy. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your love and support.
Linda Russell with Foreword PR and Marketing took a chance on a rough copy from a no-name author. She saw potential that gave me the confidence to take a step out of my comfort zone. She introduced me to a couple of ladies who helped bring my words to life—Shari Ryan and Jennifer Roberts-Hall. Thank y’all for everything you’ve done.
Golden Czermak with FuriousFotog, you were the first person I contacted in the Indie world, even before I had the most remote grasp on any of this. All I knew was I needed a cover, and I contacted you. Your pictures have helped capture my heroes, and when I needed a change, you stepped in with that as well. Thank you.
TK Woods, you read Unwelcomed Greeting and Unfinished Business before anyone else saw a word. Your encouragement is one of the reasons I’m doing this. Our photo shoot produced the cover of Unfinished Business. Thank you for being there, especially when I needed a sounding board.
Randy Richards, you’ve been my vision of Ben Stevens since he was introduced in Unfinished Business. We’ve been friends for going on two years now. Thanks for the chats. Sorry your heroine doesn’t look like Kim K, but she does have some of the features you asked for—haha!
My group of beta readers has been awesome. All of you hold a special place in my heart and bring something specific to the table. I love having all of your perspectives. I’ve lost some and added some, but Nikki Martin, you’ve been with me since the beginning. Thank you for continuing to take time out of your busy life to read my books.
None of the hard work that goes into this would mean anything if it wasn’t for the readers. Thank you for your support and love for these stories.
With much love,
Savannah
Prologue
Ten Years Ago
“By the power vested in me by the state of South Carolina, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.”
Ben didn’t hesitate kissing Maggie. He laid his lips on hers for a sweet kiss—he was saving his best kiss for the honeymoon.
“May I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Stevens.”
The applause and cheers echoed as they walked down the aisle and out of the church. Ben and Maggie hurried around to the rear and reentered to wait for the congregation to adjourn so they could get pictures made with their bridal party. He checked to make sure no one was watching as he pulled Maggie into a dark corner.
“I need a real kiss from my wife,” he whispered into her ear.
A bright smile appeared on Maggie’s face as a sparkle twinkled in her eyes. “I totally agree, husband.”
“Ben, are you smearing her makeup before pictures?” his sister asked with her hands planted on her hips. “For the love of all things holy, please wait ‘til the honeymoon.”
Maggie giggled, and Ben sighed. “Fine, but for the record, I didn’t smear her makeup … much.” He wiggled his brows.
Pictures seemed to take forever. Ben was no different from any other twenty-five-year-old male. He was ready for the honeymoon to begin but knew he had to endure the reception, so for the next three hours, they danced and had more pictures taken than he ever thought possible. The cake was cut, and he followed through on his promise—no smashing the cake in Maggie’s face. He wouldn’t have done that anyway, but she’d made him promise. They threw bouquets and garters, and finally, they changed clothes and were permitted to leave under a shower of bubbles.
Ben pulled into traffic as they headed toward the airport with the Cayman Islands their final destination. Maggie sucked on his fingers and giggled as a moan left him.
“Baby, my dick isn’t going to make it if you don’t stop.” He shrugged. “I guess we can always join the mile-high club.”
She wiggled her brows and giggled. “Just a preview of the things to come tonight.”
The traffic light turned green, and Ben proceeded through the intersection. With a jolt, all the air rushed from his body as the loudest crash he’d ever heard happened. Maggie flew to his side of the car before the seat belt could jerk her back. He couldn’t make out which way was up. They were spinning and turning, and then everything went black.
Sirens and lights brought him back to the present. One eye cracked open. He could see movement, but couldn’t really make out who it was. Two men. His eye closed again.
“Sir, can you hear me?”
Ben opened an eye.
“Can you wiggle your fingers?”
Ben moved the fingers on his left hand that was pinned by the steering wheel then the ones trapped under Maggie.
“Sir, I need to cover your face while we cut away the windshield.”
“My wife?” Ben asked.
“We’ll get her soon.”
The blanket covered his face and chest, and the sound of the Jaws of Life came alive. They were cutting the car back. Maggie. The man didn’t say she was all right. “Maggie,” he called as the noise stopped. She didn’t respond as her weight was moved off him. “Maggie, baby, answer me.”
“Sir, we’ve got Maggie. We need to get you out now.”
“Is she all right?”
“Let’s talk about that once we get you out, okay? We need to move before the car catches on fire.”
“We just got married. I can’t make her a widow so soon.”
“Yes, sir. Keep your face covered for me.”
After what seemed like an eternity, the noise started back up again. Finally, the man’s voice came back to him. “Sir, we’re going to pull you out of here. Don’t move anything until we can get you checked out. Let us do the lifting, okay?”
“Fuck!” Ben screamed with every tug on his body.
“Hang in there for me,” a different voice spoke through the noise.
“My wife. Where is she?”
“They’ve put her in another ambulance. We’re heading to Mercy General. We need to get your injuries assessed.”
“Is she all right?”
“I don’t know. The other bus has her. We’ll try to get information, but I need to ge
t your vitals. I know you’re worried, but I need you to focus and stay with me.”
“Please radio and get a report for me.”
The EMT looked at his partner. “We’ll see what we can find out.”
“Thank you.”
They settled in the back of the ambulance. “Sir, can you tell me your name?”
“Ben. Ben Stevens. We just got married.”
“Recently, huh?”
“We were on our way to the airport for our honeymoon.”
The EMT looked at Ben with sad eyes. Yeah, this is no way to start our life together, Ben thought.
A short ride later, they pulled into the Mercy General Emergency Room. The doctor met him at the back door with a team of nurses. “Hello, Ben. I’m Dr. Reynolds. I’m going to look you over.” He flashed a light in Ben’s eyes. “I think you’ve got a concussion and a nasty gash on your head. Can you tell me your birthday?”
“April 4, 1983.”
“And your address?”
“145 Church Street.”
“Good. Here’s the hard one … What’s the last thing you remember?”
“Maggie kissing my fingers at the traffic light.”
“Nothing after that?”
Ben closed his eyes as he thought back. “Things are fuzzy after that, doc.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure they’ll come back to you in time.”
“Doc, no one will tell me where Maggie is. Please, is she okay? I need to see her.”
Dr. Reynolds sat on the chair next to the bed and checked Ben’s pulse as he looked him in the eyes. “I’m sorry, Ben, but Maggie didn’t make it.”
1
Present Day
“Sam, I’m glad you and Carrie could come in and speak with us today. Thank you.” Ben shook their hands. “You remember Rachel. She was able to come up from Charleston.”
A tall, lanky man dressed in an impeccably tailored suit followed Carrie in, and Ben held out his hand. “May I ask who you are?”
Sam squeezed the man’s shoulder. “This is James, my family’s attorney.”
Ben cocked a brow. “Why would you need an attorney present?”
Sam took a deep breath and held Carrie’s hand. “Comfort, covering our asses, protection. Whatever you want to call it. Carrie is about to reveal something that, to our knowledge, no one has ever reported. And when this is over, you need to make sure she’s safe when I’m not with her.”
Ben’s eyes widened. “Let’s go to the conference room.”
They all walked into the conference room and closed the blinds. Carrie hugged Rachel. “Thank you for coming. I really need a familiar face for this.”
“Of course. You’re white as a sheet. You need to relax.”
Ben looked around the room before he took a seat. “Does this have anything to do with the meeting you had with Matthew Hightower last week?”
“No, it has to do with Matthew Hightower accosting my family in the grocery store yesterday.”
Rachel looked at Carrie. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Sam had told Matthew to never speak to Beau and me. We’ve kept our distance, but he has approached me three times since I’ve been back in Riverton Crossing.”
Rachel jotted down notes then glanced at Carrie. “Why is Matthew not to speak to you?”
Carrie looked at Sam, and he nodded. “It’s okay, baby girl. If we don’t do this now, it’s only going to get worse. He needs to be held accountable for his actions.”
Carrie took a deep breath before she scanned everyone in the room. Sam entwined their fingers, calming her. “Because Matthew Hightower used his position as my boss during my internship to coerce me to have sex with him.”
“What?” Ben and Rachel said at the same time.
James looked at Sam and Carrie with concern. “Sam, these are heavy accusations you’re throwing. Didn’t you say he’s the county prosecutor?”
Sam nodded. “Yes.”
“Excuse me a moment, Sheriff.” James looked at Sam. “Do you remember the promise you made to your parents about staying out of the news? This will be front page headlines all over the country.”
“James, I realize that, but Carrie has a right to live here just as much as he does. He paid her to leave town. He didn’t want anything to do with Beau. As a matter of fact, he didn’t even want his name on the birth certificate.” Sam stood and paced as he made his points. “Now, he’s approached her three times, twice with my son present, and this last time he questioned if Beau was his. Either you put a restraining order on him, or we’re filing charges for harassment. I’ve got the paper he signed when I returned his money.”
Rachel’s eyes left Sam and focused on Carrie. “Will you tell me everything from the beginning?”
Carrie nodded and began telling her story. As Ben listened to what was being said around him, his thoughts drifted back to when he and Maggie were dating. Maggie was a law student at the university with Matthew, and he remembered her talking about how creepy Matthew was with the female students. He rubbed his hand over his head. Maggie… His mind drifted to the night of the wreck as it had so many times in the last ten years. The two men…
“Is that all you remember? Think for me … is there anything else?” Rachel’s voice sounded as if she were in a tunnel … as if she were asking him the same question ten years ago.
Two men. He saw them turn toward him just like the other billion times. He blinked as their faces started to come into focus. For the first time, their faces cleared. He narrowed his eyes as they came into better view. Ben ran his hand down his face.
“Ben, are you okay?” Rachel watched him.
“Man, you look like you’re going to be sick,” Sam said.
Ben stood from his seat. “Excuse me. I need a minute.”
“Ben?” Rachel asked as she watched him leave the room.
“Did I say something wrong?” Carrie asked as she looked at Sam.
“Baby girl, you did nothing wrong. Finish telling Rachel about seeing Matthew and Stephanie on the street.”
Sam watched the door as Rachel and James continued taking notes. Carrie seemed to be disconnected as she told her story, and when she got to the point about Sam’s meeting with Matthew, she stopped talking and looked at Rachel. “Sam needs to tell you what happened between them.”
“I want Ben here for this. He’s my boss and needs to know how I handled things.” Sam stood from his chair. “Don’t say another word, baby girl, until I get back.”
“What am I here for then, Sam?” James questioned.
“Her protection,” he said over his shoulder as he walked out of the room.
2
The door to the men’s restroom squeaked. Son-of-a-bitch, the last thing Ben needed was someone walking in on his meltdown. He splashed more cold water on his face and took deep cleansing breaths. Fuck, fuck, fuck! When he opened his eyes, Sam’s shoes stopped at the sink next to him.
“What the hell happened in there?”
Ben stood to his full height. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“Try me.” Ben nervously looked around the men’s room then shot a warning look at Sam, who narrowed his eyes. He pushed off the sink and made sure the stalls were empty then locked the door. “We’re alone. Does this have something to do with what Carrie said?”
“Yes and no.” Ben locked his fingers behind his neck and looked at the ceiling. “I knew of Matthew Hightower years ago. He went to law school with my wife.”
“Wife? I didn’t know you’re married.”
“I’m not, at least not anymore.” Ben took a deep breath and closed his eyes. “She was killed in a car accident on the night of our wedding. We were on our way to the airport for our honeymoon. I was married for all of four hours.”
“Aw, hell, Ben. I didn’t know.”
“As far as I know, Evan is the only one around here that does.” He stuck his hands in his back pockets. “Anyway, when Carrie was talking, I remembered Mag
gie telling me about Matthew and how he creeped the female students out. He’d stand too close. Accidentally brush up against them. Shit like that.”
“But not enough for anyone to file charges.” Sam’s voice was full of dejection.
“Exactly.”
“So, you left because it brought up memories of your wife?”
“No, I’ve learned to live with those popping up.” He tilted his head back and forth. “For the last ten years, there has been part of a memory from the night of the accident that I couldn’t quite bring into focus. There were two men at the wreck. They were moving around the car that hit us.” Ben bent at the waist and took deep breaths to keep from hyperventilating. Once he’d regained his composure, he stood. “One of them was Senator Pickens.” By the time the last words left his mouth, he was whispering.
“What? As in Matthew Hightower’s future father-in-law? The state Senator?”
Ben nodded. “His driver was charged and served seven years for vehicular manslaughter, but he didn’t do it.”
“What are you saying, Ben?”
“The Senator was behind the wheel, and his driver changed places with him.”
“Why would he do that? Were they drunk?”
“They didn’t list driving under the influence on the police report, just reckless driving.”
Sam braced himself against a sink. “So, his driver gave up seven years of his life for something he didn’t even do?”
Ben nodded. “Now, I just need to prove it, and maybe Matthew is going to be my way into his future father-in-law’s finances.”
“You think Senator Pickens gave him the twenty-five thousand?”
“Or bought the car or both.”
“Holy shit. I was hoping the Senator would be my way of getting Matthew to go away.”
Ben slapped Sam on the back. “Sorry, my friend, but sounds like this one may have to go the distance in the courtroom.”
Uncovered Secrets: A Riverton Crossing Novel - Book 7 Page 1
